Electric switch



G. H. ELwELL 1,803,849

ELECTRIC SWITCH May 5, 1931.

Filed Oct. 10, 1927.

Patented May 5, 1931 UNITE Sars P AT F C GEORGE HENRY ELWELL, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNEICTIICUT,l ASSIGNOR T0 THE ('JrlLfEISlV MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION O12"y CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC SWITCH Application filed October 10, 1927. Serial No. 225,197'.

rIhe invention relates'to improvements in electric switches and especially to that type of reciprocating switches operatively thrown by means ofpush elements. The applicant 1s aware thatithe art discloses a swinging or oscillating contact making and breaking lever having a sliding pivotal mounting upon a coiled spring resting upon a fixed supporting base and having a bearing at its opposite end adapted to ride upon the peaked cam of a reciprocating operating member, the oscillating switch lever being maintained in engagement with the peaked cam by the spring which supplies sucient tension-to cause the lever to snap over the peak of the cam as the reciprocating member is operated in opposite directions.V By a previous application the applicant has disclosed an oscillating contact making and breaking member carried by the reciprocating operating member. In this application, however, there is disclosed the novel association of contacts mounted fiXedly upon the supporting base and presenting themselves resiliently to a peaked cammember slidingly mounted upon and carried by a reciprocating operating member. The objects therefore ofthe invention are to provide an electricswitch of simple and economical construction; to provide an electric switch all parts of which are mounted in a common transverse cavity in the supporting base; and to provide an electric switch involving such other features of the invention as may herein appear.

The following is the description of an embodiment of the invention7 the construction ofwhich within the scope of what hereinafter is claimed may be varied without departing from the spirit or modifyingany of the advantages of the invention. Reference being had to the accompanying drawings (one sheet) the Figure l is an upright elevation, partly in cross-section, of an electric lamp socket without a casing but provided with the improved switch; Figure 2 is an upright eX- terior elevation of the same lamp socket, but in a dilerent position and with push element removed to illustrate the reciprocating members incross-section; Figure 3 is a top view of the base of a lamp socket supporting the iioor groove 5 communicating with/the` peripheral groove 6, as best illustratedby Figures l andv le The reciprocating operating member comprises the cylindrical metal' rod 7 having iixed'at one` extremity the push element 8 of black insulation material and at the other extremityy the push' element 9 assembled thereonl byy meansA ofy interengaging screw-threadsv with which? the extremityr and the" push element are each provided-a Slidingly mounted upon'themetal rod 'i' is the cylindrical cam member having the metallic grooved portion lO'and the vgrooved portion ofinsulation material; ll,the1groove in each portionzbeing endless and thus 4extending entirely'around the cylindrical cam memberso that between the two grooves there is formed the annular peaked cam l2. Coiled springs 'i3 of substantially equal tensionare mounted upon and carriedby. the rod 7, one between'the lined push element 8 and the portion of insulation ll of the sliding cam'member, and the other between the screwed-on push element 9 and the metallic portion l0 ofthe sliding cam member,y asV best illustrated'by Figuresfl and 3. The associationof the reciproeating operating member., thus carrying the parts mounted thereon, with the body of insulation lis `such that the movement` of the sliding cam member, comprised of the portions l() andll, is confined to the central part of' the transverse cavity 2 betwe'eenr the abut-l ments 3 and 1i, while the reciprocating movement of the operating member isf limited by fired to the body 1 within the peripheral groove (3 by means of al screw and therein serving as the binding-post 15. rlhe contact 1% is provided with peaked portion of more or less resiliency and adapted to engage the annular groove of either of the metallic or insulation material cam portions 10 or 11. Fixedly mounted to the washer 16, of insulation material, is a resilient peaked loop contact 17 also adapted to engage the same annular groove of the portions 1() and 11 as engaged by the resilient Contact lil, but diametrically opposite thereto, as illustrated by Figures 1 and 2. A convenient means of mounting this contact 17 upon the washer 16 is by securing the same thereto by the eyelet commonly employed to secure the center lamp-contact to the opposite side ot the washer. r1`he screw-shell bindingpost may be provided in any desired way, but it is illustrated as an ir yegral arm of the screw-shell providing the binding-post 18 in a manner best illustrated by Figure 2 and made thesubject of a `previous application by the applicant.

From the foregoing description it obviously will be understood that, assuming the position of the movable parts to be the same as illustrated by Figure 1, by pushing the black push element 8 inwardly the adjacent coiled spring will be compressed against the insulation portion 11 of the sliding cam member, the cam member being held against a yielding sliding movement by the resilient contacts 14 and 17. A predetermined number of coils in the spring providing an absolutely closed spring before the inner end of the push element S engages the abutments 4 so that a complete operation of the push element 8 will thrust the compact spring against the sliding cam member suhciently to effect a dislodgment of both contacts 14- and 17 from within the groove in the metallic portion 10 of the sliding cam so that as the annular peak of the cam is pushed between the contacts 14 and 17 the release or the compressed-spring quickly advances the cam member to engage the contacts 1a and 17 with the groove of the insulation portion 11 of the sliding cam member. Until the contacts 14; and 17 are fully dislodged, as above described, the electrical connection remains closed as the contacts 14 and 17 are made, as it were, to climb to the annular peak 12, but upon the passing of the peak thereunder the opening of the circuit is suddenly accomplished as the contacts 14: and 17 lodge within the anular groove of the insulation portion 11 of the sliding cam, the released spring having thrown the sliding cam member into position therefor. Operating the red push element 9 in a similar manner a reversed action is had to lodge the contacts 1e and 17 within the annular groove of the metallic portion 10 oit the sliding cam member to close the circuit.` In assembling the socket within a unitary casing (not illusperforation, through the center passage .of the sliding cam member to be presented upon the `opposite end of the transverse cavity 2 within reach througl'i the opposite perforation in the casing :to enable the placing of the other coiled spring and screwing the red push element upon the rod extremity.

l/Vhat l claim is 1. An electric switch comprising a supporting base having a transverse passage partially intercepted by spaced abutments therein, and a reciprocating operating member mounted within the passage and carrying a relatively sliding spring-pressed peaked cam movable between the abutments and adapted by means of the operating member to be reciprocally spring-pressed into and out of electrical engagement with a iiXed contact mounted upon the base.

2. An electric switch comprising a supporting base h aviug a transverse passage partially intercepted by spaced abutments therein, and a reciprocating operating member mounted Within the passage and carrying between coiled springs a relatively sliding annular peaked cam movable thereon between the abutments and adapted by means of the operating member to be reciprocally springpressed into and out of electrical engagement with a hxed contact mounted upon the base.

3. An electric switch comprising a supporting base having a transverse passage partially interceptedby spaced abutments therein, and a reciprocating operating member mounted within the passage and carrying between coiled springs oi substantially equal tension a relatively sliding member movable thereon between the abutments and having annular grooves of metallic and insulation material construction, respectively, so spaced as to form between them an annular peaked cam, thesliding member, upon the reciprocating movements of the operating member, being adapted to be spring-pressed into and out of electrical engagement with a. fixed contact mounted upon the base as the peak passes the contact to lodge the contact alternately in the grooves.

4. An electric switch comprising a supporting base having a transverse passage partially intercepted by spaced abutments therein, and a reciprocating operating member mounted within the passage and carrying between coiled springs of substantially equal tension a relatively sliding member movable thereon between the abutments and having annular iso GEORGE HENRY ELWELL. 

